John Black (Gary McDonald) 1999

First Regular Appearance: 2.42 (#106)  Thursday 21st January 1999

Last Regular Appearance: 2.76 (#140)  Thursday 20th May 1999

Duration: EP: 106 - 140  |  SE: 2.42 – 2.76

Squad Number/Position: #3 (Defender) (Captain) (1999)

Last Seen: On the Wembley pitch parading the club’s first FA Cup win. Takes Mr. MacKinley’s second bullet to save Lynda.

Born in the 1960's, John Black was the type of player any manager would be proud to have on his team. He had an admirable, leadership quality that won his fellow players over, and a highly rated team mate John made a connection with was Ian Coates. John and "Coatsey" were once good team mates and friends, though they drifted when Ian left for Holland in 1991.

It is eight years before John meets up with Ian again, where he has been playing for Leyton Orient but has been out with numerous injuries, more frequent as John approaches the end of his playing days. Ian meanwhile has had a successful career in the game post-retiring, having managed in the Eredivisie League and now at Premiership side Harchester United. Though at this time suspended as manager following an altercation with a ref caught on Sky TV. Ian knew John's experience and his steadfast nature as a player could only serve to compliment an already strong squad. He plans to bring John in and ultimately make him captain once he has settled in the team.

Signing with Harchester secured John one of his long-term ambitions of having a crack at the FA Cup, and he knows he will put everything into making it to Wembley and retiring on a high. Ian bringing in John doesn't restore his role as Harchester manager however, as a good run of results under Frank Patcham sees Jerry switch Ian from the role to make him Director of Football at the club. Luis becomes John's new manager when also his team mate, and as planned out by Ian, he is appointed captain before long.

John leads the team and achieves his dream of making it to Wembley for the FA Cup. The team are victorious and beat Man United, making history for the club. The celebrations proceed with a parade around the pitch, but John ultimately pays the price for Jerry discovering Luis's affair with Lynda. Hitman Mr MacKinley fires two shots aiming for Luis, but Lynda gets in the way, and is grazed in the head by the first bullet. John dives in front to protect she and Luis, and is hit by the second bullet. He is dead on arrival at the hospital, and a guilty Jerry later attends John's funeral where John's eight-year-old nephew places his #3 shirt on his coffin.

Although Mr MacKinley isn't brought to justice for John's murder, the police strongly suspect Jerry's involvement. He flees to Brazil and dies five years after his actions cost John Black his life.